The Submersion Situation
by foxesrainbow
Summary: Inspired by 'The Titanic Theory' by ms. rosey cheeks, this is basically how I think 'Titanic' would have been if it involved the cast of TBBT. Contains Shenny, and of course the rest of the gang.
1. Chapter 1

**Decided to have a go at writing a FanFic. I was inspired by The Titanic Theory ( s/8333214/1/The-Titanic-Theory) and wanted to have a go at writing a Titanic/Big Bang story. **

**Basically, this will share similarities with the movie, but will be different. Basically, this is how I think Titanic would have happened if it had featured the cast of TBBT. I have tried to keep everyone as in character as possible, but I also tried to stay true to the time period. Also, I am a Shenny fan - this will contain Shenny. **

**Hopefully someone likes this :)**

* * *

It was 1912, and Wilhelm Wien had only the previous year been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his discoveries concerning the laws of heat radiation.

This had bothered Dr. Sheldon Cooper for weeks for a number of reasons, none of which he felt compelled to explain to anyone.  
It niggled at his brain even as he woke and dressed on the morning of April 10th. The date itself was of no real significance to Sheldon, under normal circumstances. His eidetic memory would remind him that, on April 10th the previous year he had spilt ink all over his good white shirt while making some hurried notes about his latest experiment. On April 10th, in his thirteenth year, he had been called a 'dunce' by his (ironically quite dense) classmate Timothy.  
This April 10th, however, he awoke with the knowledge that he would soon be away on his long-dreaded journey across the Atlantic Ocean; a trip he felt compelled to make only as his elderly and widowed mother, Mary Cooper, had taken ill. He did love his mother dearly, of course, but the world of science had nothing to offer him in Galveston, Texas. His work was here, in Winchester; as were the fruits of his labor. Long hours of researching, experimenting and recording his findings in impossibly neat print had bought him a modern-day mansion, substantial grounds and a shiny black motorcar; among other things.

They had also found him Amelia Farrah Fowler.

A lady in every sense of the word, Amelia was the daughter of a London diplomat; her English was polished, her clothes were paired and fastened by a small army of ladies maids, and her disposition, while arguably dull, was as refined as you would expect from the soon-to-be-wife of a renowned (although, painfully, not quite famed enough to earn a Nobel Prize) scientist.

And so it bothered Sheldon Cooper, that he had achieved so much yet was still not able to grasp the thing he had wanted above all else since he was a boy.  
It bothered him as he ate his breakfast that cold April morning, it bothered him as he helped Amelia into the motorcar, her gloved hand firm in his. It bothered him even as his driver slowed, the docks a harried chaos around them, a towering shadow on the horizon.

The RMS Titanic.

A ship of dreams, of noble men and dainty women - and of (Sheldon thought quietly) unnecessary hype.  
An unsinkable ship was, by all logical calculations, a completely plausible idea, so the fuss surrounding the creation of such a vessel seemed absurd.  
Even so, he felt Amelia gasp as the masts loomed into sight, her eyes wide with wonder.

"It's incredible!" she breathed, pressing her face close to the window, "I can hardly believe a ship so large can be unable to sink!"

"Well, it does all come down to a very complex system of watertight compartments and electronic watertight doors," Sheldon explained, sighing, "frankly, I'm surprised this design wasn't implemented in a ship years ago. It's quite pedestrian, really"

"Well," Amelia sat back, her voice measured and formal, "I find it quite fascinating, all the same"

The car pulled to a stop; Amelia sat with hands folded as Sheldon stepped around the car to open her door.  
A strange tradition, he had always thought, considering that she has functioning arms of her own; but his mother had raised a gentleman, and gentlemen did not question such things.

"Dr. Cooper!" a voice rang out over the hissing of steam and endless shouting, "I've had the bags sent to the parlor suites, and the car will be loaded as soon as we're on-board. Will there be anything else, sir?"

Leonard Hofstadter, Cooper's right hand man, squinted up at the Doctor, his usual grinning, humble self.

Hofstadter had been chosen (although hard to believe) for his intelligence. A manservant had become essential to Sheldon as his affairs and commitments grew, but was only a desirable acquisition is when it became clear that assistance would be needed if he ever planned on becoming a Nobelist.  
He advertised for a keen scientific mind able to interpret theories and assist with experiments. A simple enough request, he believed. Unfortunately, it seemed that all those highly educated enough to be of use were otherwise employed, and every applicant whose name passed his desk was barely qualified to change the tire on his automobile.

Then, there came Leonard.

Short, insecure and of above average intelligence, Leonard Hofstadter had also dreamed of winning a Nobel Prize as a child; however, a lack of money and the death of his father saw him without formal schooling and working at a lumber yard in the outskirts of Winchester. He was desperate to work in the sciences, and Sheldon was desperate for an assistant.  
Not only could Leonard help with experiments, but he could take charge of Sheldon's affairs, ensuring that the house was kept in good condition and the car kept running. Sheldon could always count on Leonard to remind him about important meetings and birthdays. It was what could only be referred to as a beautiful friendship'.

Now, as the crowds seethed around him, Sheldon was particularly glad not to be organizing the journey himself. Travel was not something he enjoyed, and dealing with incompetent crew members would have left him with a headache.

"That will be all, thank you Leonard," he smiled curtly and gave a short nod, "Amelia and I will see you on board"

Leonard gave a short two fingered salute before turning to shout at the crewmen as they fumbled with Amelia's trunks and suitcases.

"Darling, shall we?" Amelia smiled politely, holding her arm out

Sheldon linked his arm with hers, leading her toward the boarding ramps for First Class passengers.

Amelia did not talk as they strolled, although her head could barely stay still as she tried to take everything in. She was a true debutante, well trained by her parents and society, and rarely spoke unless spoken to; her childish excitement buried under a heavy blanket of rules and expectations.

Sheldon looked up at the clear blue sky, breathing deeply. He had money, a moderate amount of acclaim, and a charming young woman to share it with. There could not be more to life, he told himself. He was one of the lucky ones.

Sometimes (more often than he cared to admit), when he wasn't so sure about his happiness, when the idea (even, dare he say, the feeling) that something could be missing seeped into his mind; he would resort to his trusted method of finding answers.

He recited the facts of his life until logic made it inarguably clear that he was happy.


	2. Chapter 2

The bar buzzed with raucous laughter, glasses clinking, shoes scuffing the beaten floors. Penny narrowed her eyes over a hand of cards, casting a sidelong glance a Bernadette and almost laughing at her terrible attempt at a poker face.

The two men across the table muttered to each other, one chewing a toothpick, the other drumming dirty nails against the table. They were worried.

Penny and Bernadette had been hunched at the table for hours, sipping whiskey and fighting to win their freedom in the form of tickets to America on the RMS Titanic. Freedom from the cold of England and the uncertainty of poverty. Their blonde hair tucked up inside tattered pageboy hats, dirt on their faces and loose calico shirts hiding their figures; they had introduced themselves as Pete and Ben, young boys trying their hand at poker in a crowded dockside bar. At first they'd been scoffed at, but now with tickets on the table and the final hand of cards being held with bated breath, they could feel the other patrons respect.

Penny had spent her childhood with her brother and his friends. They would come back from the mill every afternoon and sit on the porch smoking, drinking and playing cards. Penny, who was never the young lady her mother longed for her to be, learned quickly how to play poker, stomach spirits and take a drag without coughing.

She had always thought herself street-smart enough to live independently, and with her parents busy working the farm, and both her brother and sister married, she had left for the city of Southampton at seventeen. She knew that pretty girls from families like hers ended up married by nineteen and raising babies on a farm, just like her mother. She wanted better things; she wanted fame and fortune, jewels and a life of luxury.

Southampton had been a cold, dreary reality check. With no real schooling, no skills and no plan in mind, she had ended up sweeping the ovens of a bakery in exchange for a roof over her head and two small meals each day. She wound up sharing the small back room with Bernadette Rostenkowski, a girl her own age and just as penniless as she. They were downtrodden and poor, but Penny had a plan to get to America and become a star, and her enthusiasm was contagious. They lay in bed at night imagining their life as Broadway stars, marrying millionaires, wearing fur coats and high heeled shoes.  
As most down on their luck girls did, they took jobs at Madame Clara's - a seedy brothel disguised only by a classy name. The money they earned went in a biscuit tin under Penny's bed until it could buy them their way out of Southampton. They drank, they slept with married men, they swept ovens and they slept under thin blankets.

And now they were here, staring down two half-drunk middle aged men, sick with nerves.

Penny drew her last card and squared her shoulders.

"A'ight fellas," she growled, keeping her voice low, "hands down, someone's gettin' on that boat"

She turned to Bernadette, "Ben?"

Bernadette shook her head, dropping a hand of mismatched cards and shrugging apologetically.

The man to the left of Bernadette, with a toothpick in his mouth, dropped his hand - three of a kind. His companion followed suite with a straight.  
Bernadette sighed, defeated.

Penny grinned, seeing the men's faces drop as she slapped her cards down.

"In your honor, boys," she smirked "a Royal Flush"

The silence that followed was almost charged with tension. The men's faces, awestruck, as they tried to comprehend their loss; and Bernadette slowly lifting her hand to her mouth, shaking with excitement

"Oh my god," she gasped, forgetting to mask her voice "we're going to America!"

The girls jumped up, sending their chairs reeling backwards onto the rough hardwood. Penny grabbed the tickets and pocketed a handful of money, snatching up her rucksack before either man could grab her and punch the precious tickets out of her hand.

"Bernie, let's go!" she hollered, racing out the door, thankful that her disguise meant wearing pants and not her usual long dress

"We'll never make it!" Bernadette panted as she followed close behind, the horns of the ship bellowing overhead

They ploughed through the crowds of people, pushing dainty women and indignant men, lungs bursting and bags slapping their thighs. Screaming and jumping, pumping their fists in the air. Tossing their tickets to the guard, they ran on board, heading for the crowded decks.

People were packed against the railings, waving and crying. They pushed through the crowd, pressing against the barrier and snatching off their hats; waving frantically, hair flow long and golden behind them.

"We're going to America, Bernie!" Penny screamed, throwing an arm around her friend, "I'm going to be famous! We're gonna be stars!"

Bernadette didn't say anything, only grinning as she waved, tears pooling in her eyes. She couldn't remember ever being this happy.

Penny knew they looked ridiculous - boy's clothes, knotty hair, dirty faces - but she didn't care. She was going to make something of herself!


End file.
